ABC is Florida’s largest professional management association of commercial, industrial and institutional general contractors, specialty contractors, associates and suppliers.
Ranked by the U.S. Congress among the most influential organizations in the country, ABC was founded on and remains committed to our three-fold mission of safety and skills training, government and political affairs, and business development.
The House and Senate are again in session this week with the House voting on the first “minibus” appropriations bill that will include some of the largest agency budgets – Defense, Labor, Health and Humans Services, and Education.
In the Senate, reports are indicating that Senate Majority Leader McConnell (R-KY) and his deputy, Majority Whip John Thune (R-S.D.), are telling committee chairmen to start approving bills and get them ready for the floor, with a focus on legislation lowering health care costs along with the annual defense policy legislation, the National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
Both the House and Senate are also looking at the President’s North American trade deal (USMCA) and a deal to lift stiff budget caps, which will both require bipartisan support.
Trade Update:
After last week’s threat of additional tariffs on Mexico, the President took the tariffs off the table after the administration made a deal with the Mexican government to address the crisis on the border and crack down on migration into the United States. Imposing the tariffs would have also been seen as a serious roadblock to passing the President’s USMCA this Congress.
While the deal prevented the tariffs from going into effect today, President Trump still warned that tariffs remained an option if Mexico doesn’t uphold their end of the agreement.
Additional tariffs on Chinese imports also hang in the balance with potential talks between President Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping at the G-20 meeting this month in Japan.
Appropriations Update:
The House is slated to take up a spending package this week that would provide $1 trillion in funding for government agencies. The package includes five Fiscal Year 2020 spending bills: Labor-Health and Human Services-Education, Legislative Branch, Defense, State-Foreign Operations, and Energy and Water Development.
The bill currently contains $250 million for registered Apprenticeships, an increase of $90 million above the fiscal year 2019 enacted level. However, the bill will have to undergo additional negotiations with the Senate and White House before it can be signed into law.
The bill would also seek to raise congressional salaries, which have been frozen for a decade. While leaders in both parties support the move, rank-and-file Republicans and Democrats in swing districts are opposed to the effort.
Health Care Update:
ABC joined a letter to Senate HELP Committee Chairman and Ranking Member to support the committee’s bipartisan work in developing the Lower Health Care Costs Act of 2019 to address several cost-driver issues within our nation’s health care system. The House and Senate health committee’s have both been working on bipartisan legislation to address surprise billing and increase transparency for patients, and ABC will continue to monitor these proposals and provide updates on their progress.
Election Update:
Last week, Republican businessman and Army veteran John James announced that he will challenge Democratic U.S. Sen. Gary Peters in 2020. In 2018, ABC supported James’s efforts to challenge to U.S. Sen. Debbie Stabenow, where he put up a stronger-than-expected challenge to the incumbent Democrat. James is seen as a strong recruit for Republicans who have not won a U.S. Senate seat in Michigan since 1994.
New Member Highlight:
Kevin Hern is a US Congressman representing Oklahoma’s First District. He replaces Jim Bridenstine, who was confirmed as NASA Administrator for the Trump Administration. Hern earned an Architectural Drafting Certificate in a concurrent Vocational-Technical school during his high school tenure and attained a degree in mechanical engineering and an MBA later in his life. His professional experience includes starting his own small business, real estate, and banking. Hern also worked various leadership positions in the McDonald’s corporation such as on their Tax Policy Team.
Hern’s extensive business background has guided him since he has been in Congress. He works on the House Committee on Small Business, even serving as Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Economic Growth, Tax, and Capital Access. He also sits on the House Natural Resources Committee and the House Budget Committee.
While the majority of bills that passed this session have yet to be delivered to the Governor for his final consideration and signature, we wanted to take a moment to send you the attached report – a final look at ABC’s Legislative Priorities, other bills of interest to the industry, what passed, what didn’t, what to lookout for, and who our Legislative Champions are from this session.
As “The Voice of Commercial Construction” in Florida, we take pride in advocating on your behalf and on behalf of our entire industry. We hope you find this report helpful.
Find your Florida House Member
Carol Bowen, ABC Chief Lobbyist
3730 Coconut Creek Parkway, Suite 200
Coconut Creek, FL 33066
cbowen@abceastflorida.com
Robert Stuart
Chris Carmody
GrayRobinson
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Visit the ABC of Florida website for more information.
© 2019 — Central Florida Chapter Associated Builders and Contractors, Inc.